is thin
lips were trembling, while he murmured the words of the proclamation. A
veteran soldier at his side read somewhat louder, and at every few words a
tear trickled down into his honest white beard. I Stood by him and cried
too, and asked him why we were crying. And then he told me: 'The Elector
expresses you his gratitude'--then he went on reading, and at the words
'for your loyal and trusted obedience, and releases you from your duties,'
his tears broke out afresh.... While we were reading, the Elector's arms
were being taken down from the City Hall, the whole place became as
terrifyingly quiet as though there were going to be an eclipse of the sun,
and all the City Councillors went about hanging their heads as though no
one had any more use for them...

"When I woke up next morning, the sun was shining as usual, drums were
beating in the streets, and when I came down to breakfast and said
good-morning to my father I heard how the barber had whispered to him while
he was shaving him that the new Grand Duke Joachim was to receive the
homage of his subjects at the City Hall to-day, that he came of a very good
family and had been given the Emperor Napoleon's sister in marriage, and
had really a very good presence, and wore his fine black hair in curls, and
would shortly enter the city in state and would certainly please all the
ladies. Meanwhile, the drumming continued in the street, and I went and
stood outside the door and watched the French troops marching in, those
glorious happy Frenchmen, who marched through the world with songs and
shining sabres, the gay firm-set faces of the Grenadiers, the bear-skins,
the tricolour cockades, the gleaming bayonets, the merry skilful horsemen,
and the huge great drum-major with his silver-embroidered uniform, who
could throw his drum-stick with its gilt button up to the first floor, and
his eyes up even to the girls in the second floor windows. I was pleased
that we were to have soldiers billeted on us--my mother was not--and I
hurried to the market-place. There everything was quite different now. The
world looked as if it had had a new coat of paint. A new coat-of-arms was
hanging on the City Hall, the iron railings on the balcony were covered
with tapestry hangings, French Grenadiers were standing sentry, the old
City Councillors had put on new faces, and were wearing Sunday clothes, and
looked at one another in French and said 'Bon jour,' ladies were looking
out of all the